Excavation of Goebekli Tepe has revealed the hitherto unknown religion of the "Neolithic Revolution." Almost twelve millennia ago the cult was established, at the northern end of the Fertile Crescent, by priests who were hunter-shamans, miners of flint and weapon-makers. Progress in weapon manufacture resulted in overhunting, a temporary surplus of meat, too many human hunters, and a decline in prey animal populations. Shortages of prey animals elicited a priestly cult that specialized in the regeneration of life. Priestly minds rationalized taking control of plants and animals and thereby encouraged domestication--which led to "hyper-domestication," or, what evolved as our history of civilization and our history of religions.

Somewhere in our antediluvian past mankind both technologically and socially surged forward in a single leap, from being hunter-gatherers to city dwellers and inventors, we intellectually bloomed in a second of historical time. For millions of years we, as a species, saw little change, but around the time primitive men began drawing pictures in caves depicting aliens, flying machines, and spacecraft suddenly everything changed and man began to invent, create, build, and imagine a future. Synchronicity of these events cannot go unnoticed. The development of the wheel, the building of ornate astrological temples, the invention of writing, math, and all the technology that would lead to the modern age took place in seemingly a blink of an eye. For millions of years humanoids struggled to survive with little discernible advancement in their technology or skills, then overnight mankind began to develop at an amazing rate. For 10 million years we lived as animals lived, as cave dwellers, hunting and gathering when we could where we could. Then they came, and everything changed. We began to read and write. We began living in cities. We began wild adventures of creativity. We built pyramids. We learned about the stars. We could predict solar and lunar events. We became brighter, more intelligent, certainly more creative and inventive. To what do we owe this quantum leap in our development? The mere act of discovering or learning does not answer the question fully. We were thinking differently, deeper, more logically. We were being changed, altered, our DNA being manipulated. We were being made better. But for what purpose and toward what end was mankind being changed?

1 Enoch, written in great antiquity, is a text of ecstasy and heavenly vision purported to be written by Enoch, seventh from Adam, who "lived 365 years and was no more, for God took him." This book was influential and widely read in the early church, as witnessed by its quotations in the Biblical books of Jude and 1 Peter.

Focused on the indigenous African belief that ethics and spiritual growth are irrevocably linked (Iwa Pele), this book provides clear direction for those interested in the spiritual path of Ifa. Filled with Techniques and Understandings for Beginners and Adepts alike, Iwa Pele continues to be a "Must Have" book for Western Ifa Followers to understand how and why the tradition is practiced. It is with great excitement that we welcome this second edition of what has become a classic in Yoruba literature. In this ground breaking book, Babalawo Falokun Fatunmbi continues the work of Yoruba writers such as Dr. Wande Abimbola and others in unmasking the deep cosmological and theological principles of the Yoruba people. This exposition of the theology of the Yoruba people challenges the prevailing prejudicial assumptions regarding the depth, beauty and relevance of African theological thought. Titled "Iwa Pele," this book focuses on the indigenous African belief that ethics and spiritual growth are irrevocably linked. Written in a highly accessible manner and in a style easily assimilated by the Western mind, this great work also provides sensible direction for those wishing to embark on the spiritual path of Ifa. Each chapter provides instruction for the adept on Ifa/orisa veneration as done in the traditional manner.

Drawing on two years of ethnographic field research among the Navajos, this book explores a controversial Native American ritual and healthcare practice: ceremonial consumption of the psychedelic Peyote cactus in the context of an indigenous postcolonial healing movement called the Native American Church (NAC), which arose in the 19th century in response to the creation of the reservations system and increasing societal ills, including alcoholism. The movement is the locus of cultural conflict with a long history in North America, and stirs very strong and often opposed emotions and moral interpretations. Joseph Calabrese describes the Peyote Ceremony as it is used in family contexts and federally funded clinical programs for Native American patients. He uses an interdisciplinary methodology that he calls clinical ethnography: an approach to research that involves clinically informed and self-reflective immersion in local worlds of suffering, healing, and normality. Calabrese combined immersive fieldwork among NAC members in their communities with a year of clinical work at a Navajo-run treatment program for adolescents with severe substance abuse and associated mental health problems. There he had the unique opportunity to provide conventional therapeutic intervention alongside Native American therapists who were treating the very problems that the NAC often addresses through ritual. Calabrese argues that if people respond better to clinical interventions that are relevant to their society's unique cultural adaptations and ideologies (as seems to be the case with the NAC), then preventing ethnic minorities from accessing traditional ritual forms of healing may actually constitute a human rights violation.

Immortal Jaguar is Hugh Fox's account of his experiences with the inner worlds and ancient powers unleashed by his use of traditional South American spiritual hallucinogenics. After consuming psychoactive plants in Peru he is gripped by visionary experiences and finds the dazzling magical world of the Immortals opening up, a whirl of ancient knowledge pouring through his consciousness. On his return to academic life in the US he finds that having a shamanic gift which he is unable to switch off is something of a dangerous liability. Part memoir, part archaeology, this fusion of visions and ideas into fictional narrative is among the most excitingly readable presentations of the spiritual underworld of the Andes and its expression through sacred hallucinogens. The vision extends outward across the ancient world through language and legend, all leading to a voyage to the house of the Sun-King - Tiawanaku in Bolivia. Fox, a major authority on the Pre-Columbian Americas, and a true visionary to boot, makes a compelling case for the connection of disparate myths and cultures around the world in deepest antiquity.

This research takes an integrative approach to the study of Hellenistic cult and cultic practices in an important part of western Asia by employing a combination of archaeological, numismatic and historical evidence. Although any thorough investigation of Seleukid religion would prove illuminating in itself, this research uses religion as a lens through which to explore the processes of acculturation and rejection within a colonial context. It discusses the state attitude towards, and manipulation of, both Hellenic and indigenous beliefs and places this within a framework developed out of a series of case studies exploring evidence for religion at a regional level. The study outlines the development of religious practices and expression in the region which formed the birthplace of the modern world's three most influential monotheistic religions.

Awo Falokun Fatunmbi presents in "Ebora" a revealing account and understanding for the first time of Africa's metaphysical aspect of Odu Ifa releasing the connection of Spiritual Warriors within our lives. A dupe Awo Ogun. - - Ifasina O. Agbede In this book, Awo Falokun Fatunmbi continues to make lasting contributions to our understanding of the Yoruba cosmos. In "Ebora," Awo Falokun provides an in depth explanation of the often misunderstood topic of Spiritual Warriors in Ifa. Set to the rhythm of the universal hero's journey, baba takes us on a voyage into the Yoruba spiritual world. This book also provides instruction on how to embark on the journey to self-transformation with the help and guidance of the Yoruba Spiritual Warriors. - - Awo Fategbe Fatunmbi

The village of Stanton Drew in north Somerset is host to a remarkable group of ancient monuments which together comprise the third largest collection of standing stones in England. Its Great Circle, the largest of three stone circles, exceeds the dimensions of Stonehenge. Recent archaeology has revealed that a substantial woodhenge once occupied the site, underlining its importance as a major ritual centre of the Neolithic age. Gordon Strong, a regular lecturer on the subject, has spent many years exploring this fascinating site on multiple levels. In this well illustrated book he presents archaeological detail, local folklore and the views of various commentators from 18th century antiquarians to dowsers, discussing mythology, mediumship and earth energies. His insights are gleaned from his long love-affair with the site, and offer the visitor some clues for making their own inner connection to this unique monument which still retains its ancient magic.

The Breton lai is a narrative poem, usually accompanied by music, that appeared in France about the middle of the 12th century, carried by travelling musicians and storytellers called jongleurs. What is important about them is that they contain a great deal of faery and supernatural lore deriving from Celtic myth, legend and folktale. This collection of twelve tales focuses on faery lore in the lai tradition. Nine are taken from anonymous medieval jongleur sources; the other three are from the more courtly tales collected by Marie de France in the late 12th century. Gareth Knight, a scholar of medieval French as well as an established author on esoteric faery lore, provides a vivid and lively translation of each lai along with a commentary which takes a perspective both historic and esoteric.

A short introduction to Witchcraft or Wicca with its symbols, spells, and practices.

Designed to be an extremely simple introduction, this book covers the runes of the Elder Futhark from the point of view of someone who has worked with them, read the poems, and translated them on his own for many years. Included are two simple spreads (a 3-rune and a 9-rune spread) and an introduction to Odin's Eye, as well as a modern rune poem written by the author for the Elder Futhark

Most of us associate Aphrodite - also known as Venus - with love, beauty and fertility, but the symbolic value of this goddess is by far more complex than we would have known or dared to believe. Aphrodite - a hermaphrodite? The book examines a rather obscure side of the cult surrounding this illustrious fertility goddess. How many of us would have guessed that one of Aphrodite's most famous representations was in fact a figurine from Ayia Irini, Cyprus, that portrays this female deity as The Bearded Goddess, a bisexual and self-sufficient entity? The book reveals the unspoken truth about Aphrodite; a closer look at the islands archaeological sights suggests a new sexual archetype of Aphrodite and other criteria for the sublime female figure in ancient religion(s). The author, the well-known archaeologist Marie-Louise Winbladh, enlightens her audience in plain language about the mysterious devotion of Aphrodite as an androgynous being. She casts light on the enigmatic representations of this deity, who is believed to have originated from Cyprus, the epicenter of ancient crossroads. How did the cult of Aphrodite evolve? How was this goddess worshipped? Did 'temple prostitution' really exist? What was the role of the 'priestesses' and their relation to The Bearded Goddess? These and many more questions are addressed in the book.

Who are the "Gemini Twins?" Where did Sagittarius come from? Why would anyone ever choose a "Compass" as a constellation? Many people have read and learned a great deal about the Constellations, and a few have an idea of what each of the 88 groups of stars represent. But, how many know the legends behind the celestial objects that loom over head? This book teaches you the legends behind the myths. The reader will learn the true stories of the stars.

Joseph Campbell (1904-1988) was one of the most well-known and popular scholars of myth and comparative religion of the twentieth century. His work, however, has never fully received the same amount of scholarly interest and critical reflection that some of his contemporaries have received. In this book, based on extensive research in the Joseph Campbell Archive in Santa Barbara, Ritske Rensma shows that reflecting on C.G. Jung's influence on Campbell greatly furthers our understanding of these ideas, and that once this goal is achieved it becomes obvious that Campbell was a scholar whose ideas are still of significance today. Following Jung's lead, Campbell put great emphasis on the innate structures of the mind, an approach which pre-echoes the current 'evolutionary turn' in fields such as cognitive theory, psychology, psychiatry and neurobiology. This study will therefore not just be of interest to students and scholars interested in psychological approaches to the study of religion as well as Jung and Campbell, but also to those with an interest in recent developments in the above-mentioned fields

Aradia is perhaps the first 20th century text of Witchcraft revival. It is repeatedly cited as being profoundly influential to the development of Wicca. The text corroborates the thesis of Margaret Murray that early modern and Renaissance witchcraft represented a survival of ancient pagan beliefs, The Charge of the Goddess, an important piece of liturgy used in Wiccan rituals, it was inspired by Aradia's speech in the first chapter of the book. Parts of the speech appeared in an early version of Gardnerian Wicca ritual.Wilder Publications is a green publisher. All of our books are printed to order. This reduces waste and helps us keep prices low while greatly reducing our impact on the environment.

The two great Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 and 480-79 B.C., both repulsed by the Greeks, provide our best opportunity for understanding the interplay of religion and history in ancient Greece. Using the Histories of Herodotus as well as other historical and archaeological sources, Jon Mikalson shows how the Greeks practiced their religion at this pivotal moment in their history. In the period of the invasions and the years immediately after, the Greeks - internationally, state by state, and sometimes individually - turned to their deities, using religious practices to influence, understand, and commemorate events that were threatening their very existence. Greeks prayed and sacrificed; made and fulfilled vows to the gods; consulted oracles; interpreted omens and dreams; created cults, sanctuaries, and festivals; and offered dozens of dedications to their gods and heroes - all in relation to known historical events. By portraying the human situations and historical circumstances in which Greeks practiced their religion, Mikalson advances our knowledge of the role of religion in fifth-century Greece and reveals a religious dimension of the Persian Wars that has been previously overlooked. The two great Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 and 480-79 B.C., both repulsed by the Greeks, provide our best opportunity for understanding the interplay of religion and history in ancient Greece. By showing how the Greeks practiced their religion at this pivotal moment in their history, Jon Mikalson reveals a religious dimension of the Persian Wars that has been previously overlooked.